Dread, the L.A.-based distribution and financing company Epic Pictures’ specialty horror label, announced today plans to re-release Terrifier, Damien Leone’s 2016 slasher horror — that would lead to the smash box-office hit Terrifier 2 — nationwide in theaters with Iconic Events, who handled the explosively successful rollout of the sequel last year. Terrifier will return to the big screen on July 19, 2023, and play in over 700 theater locations across the U.S.
Terrifier’s Art The Clown Back on the Big Screen
Following a string of earlier films that first introduced Leone’s now-iconic villain Art the Clown to audiences, Terrifier saw the role first taken by David Howard Thornton, who took up the mantle once again in the film’s breakout sequel, cementing the character’s place in horror canon legacy.
The slasher stars Thornton alongside Jenna Kanell (Renfield), Samantha Scaffidi, and Catherine Corcoran (Return to Nuke‘em High Volume 1), with all four reprising their roles in the sequel. The film takes place on Halloween night as Tara Heyes (Kanell) finds herself as the obsession of a sadistic murderer known as Art the Clown.
After playing genre film festivals around the globe, including London’s FrightFest, IMAGINE Film Festival in Amsterdam, and the Telluride Horror Show Film Festival, Terrifier earned praise for its over-the-top gore and passionate resurrection of the beloved slasher flick and was acquired by Epic Pictures for their Dread Central label. The film saw an initial limited theatrical release followed by digital and home video in 2018.
Damien Leone’s Surprise Hit in Terrifier
“When Damien Leone and his team brought Terrifier to Dread Central years ago, we knew that the film was something incredibly special and astoundingly terrifying in the best way possible. Now, six years later, with millions of Terrifier fans worldwide, we are excited to once again unleash on the big screen this blood-soaked homage to old-school horror and the insanity of Art the Clown,” said Epic Pictures and DREAD CEO and owner Patrick Ewald. Added Leone: “I am thrilled to announce that ‘Terrifier’ is officially getting its long overdue release in nationwide theaters this July! Let’s see if you can stomach Art the Clown’s notorious “hack saw scene” on the big screen! Be sure to bring your barf bags.”
“Every once in a while, a film genre spawns a generational talent who breaks the mold,” said Steve Menkin, President & Co-Founder, Iconic Events. “Damien Leone is such a visionary director. Iconic Events is excited and proud to present the original Terrifier in theatres for fans who have been waiting to see it the way it was meant to be seen in all its “gory” — on the big screen!”
In addition to writing and directing the feature, Leone also edited and did special effects makeup on Terrifier. Phil Falcone and George Steuber also produced. To celebrate the re-release, Dread Central will be hosting an Art the Clown contest and looking for all forms of art that feature the villain. Submissions can be in the form of photos and videos of your TERRIFIER-inspired art, tattoos, and cosplays, and more details on the contest, prizes, and how to apply can be found on the website HERE.
